CaltechAUTHORS
Published November 4, 2020 | Version Accepted Version
Journal Article Open

Tailoring a Three-Phase Microenvironment for High-Performance Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon University of California, Los Angeles
  • 2. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 3. ROR icon Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
  • 4. ROR icon Ford Motor Company (United States)
  • 5. ROR icon Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • 6. ROR icon National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center
  • 7. ROR icon University of California, Riverside
  • 8. ROR icon University of California, Irvine
  • 9. ROR icon University of California, Santa Cruz
  • 10. ROR icon California NanoSystems Institute

Abstract

Despite tremendous progress in catalyst development for rate-limiting cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), reducing Pt usage while meeting performance requirements in practical proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) remains a challenge. The ORR in PEMFCs occurs at a catalyst–electrolyte–gas three-phase interface. A desirable interface should exhibit highly active and available catalytic sites, as well as allow efficient oxygen and proton feeding to the catalytic sites and timely removal of water to avoid interface flooding. Here, we report the design of a three-phase microenvironment in PEFMCs, showing that carbon surface chemistry can be tuned to modulate its interaction with the ionomers and create favorable transport paths for rapid delivery of both reactants and products. With such an elaborate interfacial design, for the first time we have demonstrated PEMFCs with all key ORR catalyst performance metrics, including mass activity, rated power, and durability, surpassing the US Department of Energy targets.

Additional Information

© 2020 Elsevier. Received 28 July 2020, Revised 6 September 2020, Accepted 28 September 2020, Available online 21 October 2020.

Attached Files

Accepted Version - 1393-Matter-MEA-3phase-Ms.pdf

Files

1393-Matter-MEA-3phase-Ms.pdf

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Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
106245
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20201023-083340236

Funding

Office of Naval Research (ONR)
N00014-18-1-2155
NSF
CHE-1854439
Office of Naval Research (ONR)
N00014-18-1-2271

Dates

Created
2020-10-23
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-11-16
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Other Numbering System Name
WAG
Other Numbering System Identifier
1393